Factory Automation Articles, Stories & News

German-based Moenninghoff and R.M. Hoffman Company are introducing a new partnership that will bring Moenninghoff tooth clutch, high-precision voice coil actuator, and robust flexible coupling products to new markets.

Available immediately are the AZBH10A4 and AZBD10A4 micro-sized analog plug-in brushless servo drives. These new models add Hall Velocity mode and Duty Cycle mode capabilities to the µZ series. Pronounced 'micro-Z' these plug-in drives are the smallest off-the-shelf servo drives from ADVANCED Motion Controls and are designed for embedded applications in a wide range of industries including: Robotics, Lab Automation, Homeland Security/Military, Electric Mobility, Medical and Packaging.
These micro sized servo drives are designed to drive brushless and brushed DC motors at a high switching frequency. To increase system reliability and to reduce cabling costs, the drives are designed for direct integration into your PCB. Weighing in at just 9 grams, these drives output 10A peak and 5A continuous and operate with a bus voltage range of 10-36VDC.

Compared with electrically operated small component grippers that are available on the market the SCHUNK EGP features high speed with simultaneous high gripping force, which can be adjusted in two or four steps, depending on the model.

Midwest Motion Products Inc., with Manufacturing and Office Facilities now based in Howard Lake, Minnesota, is pleased to announce the release of the new "TM57-GRA52" Right Angled Gearmotor System.
This new 1:1 Right Angled Gearbox allows for significantly increased versatility, and design whose geometry allows for the unit to be mounted in tight spaces.

The idea of many connected devices helping better control the factory floor is not new. IoT in one sense is merely a shift to internet addressable devices versus those either addressed by proprietary means or just "dumb".

ADVANCED Motion Controls announce the release of a full family of high performance EtherCAT Servo Drives. Models are available with AC (single or three phase) or DC inputs, from 7.5amp continuous (15A pk) to 50amp continuous (100A pk).

Clearpath Robotics announced the newest member of its robot fleet: an omnidirectional development platform called Ridgeback. The mobile robot is designed to carry heavy payloads and easily integrate with a variety of manipulators and sensors. Ridgeback was unveiled as a mobile base for Rethink Robotics' Baxter research platform at ICRA 2015 in Seattle, Washington.

"Many of our customers have approached us looking for a way to use Baxter for mobile manipulation research - these customers inspired the concept of Ridgeback. The platform is designed so that Baxter can plug into Ridgeback and go," said Julian Ware, General Manager for Research Products at Clearpath Robotics. "Ridgeback includes all the ROS, visualization and simulation support needed to start doing interesting research right out of the box."

Ridgeback's rugged drivetrain and chassis is designed to move manipulators and other heavy payloads with ease. Omnidirectional wheels provide precision control for forward, lateral or twisting movements in constrained environments. Following suit of other Clearpath robots, Ridgeback is ROS-ready and designed for rapid integration of sensors and payloads; specific consideration has been made for the integration of the Baxter research platform.

Factory Automation - Featured Product

Technology development moves at a dizzying pace and the machine vision industry is no exception. Specific to imaging there is consistent innovation aimed at improving efficiencies, costs, and intelligence. Over the past 12 months, for example, new USB3 Vision™ products have driven the design of higher bandwidth, plug-and-play solutions for imaging applications. What's next for machine vision? This article examines five trends that are expected to influence imaging system design.
Sign up at right to receive news and updates on the latest vision technology for medical imaging and you'll receive Five Trends for Imaging Technologies free!